Protests against Turkish military involvement in northern Syria took place for the third weekend running in Switzerland as around 1,000 people demonstrated in the capital, Bern.
The demonstrators said they were marching in support of the self-proclaimed Kurdish state known as ‘Rojava’, an area of northern and eastern Syria that borders Turkey. The purpose of the demonstration was to protest against the “war of aggression contrary to international law”.
Turkish troops have occupied a corridor of north-eastern Syria to create a “safe zone” along the border with Turkey. A fragile ceasefire has been brokered by the United States and Russia following scores of deaths.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has called the incursion of Turkish troops a “violation of international law”, adding: “We hope that the latest ceasefire will be respected and taken as an opportunity to negotiate a de-escalation and political solution.”
Saturday’s demonstration in Bern was largely peaceful with occasional firecrackers and smoke bombs detonated, reported the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA.
Estimations about the number of Kurdish immigrants in Switzerland vary widely between 15,000 and 60,000.
More
More
Syrian Kurd sets himself on fire outside UNHCR in Geneva
This content was published on
A man set himself on fire outside the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday morning.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
L’Oréal acquires South Korean subsidiary of Migros’ cosmetics brand
This content was published on
French cosmetics firm L'Oréal is acquiring Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, the South Korean subsidiary of the Migros-owned Mibelle group, for an undisclosed sum.
Sharp hike in number of protected historic monuments in Switzerland
This content was published on
In 2022, there were close to 91,000 protected historic monuments in Switzerland, 21% more than in 2016, said the Federal Statistical Office.
Switzerland adopts further EU sanctions against Russia
This content was published on
Switzerland has added several dozen names to its list of sanctioned persons or entities from Russia after adopting the amendments made by the European Union.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Public protests continue in Swiss cities against Turkey
This content was published on
Several hundred people have again marched in Swiss cities to protest against Turkey’s military offensive against Kurdish regions in Syria.
Thousands in Zurich protest Turkey’s Syria offensive
This content was published on
Several thousand Kurds and sympathisers demonstrated on Saturday afternoon in Zurich against the Turkish offensive in northern Syria.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.